Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, nor the original plot, nor the scene—but I DO own what I've written, so please do not steal.
Translations ((refer to when odd Japanese words come up)):
Hai:yes
Baka: stupid/idiot
Gomenasai: I'm sorry
Yamete: stop
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.xHaruhi no Kuusuu.
[Haruhi's Fantasy.)
x.x.x.x.x.l-Part l-l.x.x.x.x.x
Masked Feelings
Chapter 1.
Moments Before the Masquerade Ball…
"HARUHI?"
"Mask-a-rade, mask-a-rade, mask-a-rade!"
"Where is my daughter?!"
"We're hosting a Mask-a—Oh! Takashi! Wear this, wear this! It's a bandit's mask, Takashi!"
"HARUHI! WHERE IS HARUHI?" Tamaki waved his arms about, panic level bursting. He sprinted to Kyoya, taking him by the collar of his suit and shaking him. "Kyoya! Did you see where Haruhi disappeared to?!"
Kyoya shrugged blandly, looking away, down at his notebook. "Last I heard, the twins took her to a separate room to put her in her dress…Do you know where the lights for the fountain are?"
"How can you think about lights at a time like this!" Tamaki howled, falling to his knees and pulling his blonde hair in agony. "Haruhi has been abducted to a dark room by those perverted twins! THEY'RE GOING TO DRESS HER. DRESSING MEANS TAKING OFF CLOTHES. DON'T YOU WORRY FOR OUR DAUGHTER, MOTHER?" Tamaki shook his head, a tragic look passing across his face. "She's growing up so fast…Already had her first kiss! What if the twins bring about…THE NEXT BIG THING?"
Kyoya shrugged, walking off in the opposite direction. "They've never done anything before…"
Hunny pulled on the hem of Tamaki's white suit. "Tama-chan, Tama-chan! What mask will you wear?"
"Mask?" asked Tamaki, a line going above his head as he stared blankly.
"Hai, hai! Because it's a mask-a-rade!" cried Hunny, spinning in circles and laughing.
Mori came up behind Hunny, dressed in a dark suit with a long, black cape re a black mask that stretched over his eyes and half his nose, making him almost unrecognisable. "Ah."
Tamaki snorted with laughter, and turned away to hid his face. "H-Hai, very good, Mori-senpai," he managed to choke out.
Mori looked down at Hunny through the two slits for eyes in his mask and said, "I don't think the outfit suits me."
"Yes it does, Takashi!" Hunny cried, placing on his own mask that was plastic and covered with colourful dots (that were meant to represent sprinkles on a cake). "At a mask-a-rade, everyone wears a mask!"
Tamaki straightened to his full height, tapping his chin in thought. "Yes…a mask…I didn't think of that."
Kyoya passed him, walking towards the doors of the music room. "You'd better think fast. The event's about to start."
Tamaki stopped dead in thought. "How can I think about my costume?!" he cried. "My Haruhi's gone missing!"
"Haru-chan's gone?" Hunny looked around. "Ohh, and so is Kao-kun and Hika-chan! They'll be late!" he gasped.
"Who cares about the bakas?!" Tamaki clenched a fist, a defiant glint entering his eye. "All that matters is Haruhi! Mori-senpai, Hunny-senpai! You cover the west side of the school! Kyoya will send his secret police out to scan the grounds! I'll—"
Kyoya smacked his planning book on Tamaki's head, stopping him short. "There will be no searching," he said in a flat tone. "We have a masquerade to host. Hikaru and Kaoru know to bring Haruhi back in time. Meanwhile, we have to make our way to the grounds. A few of the guests are there already."
Tamaki crumpled to the ground, holding his head in pain as a tear formed on the corner of his eye. He stared up at his friend with a pleading gaze, whimpering, "B-But K-Kyoyaaa…"
Kyoya turned, placed his own black mask on his face, and made his way towards the door. "Come on."
With a pout, Tamaki sat on the ground, arms crossed. "I won't go until my daughter returns to me!"
"C'mon, Tama-chan!" Hunny giggled, bouncing into him and sliding him towards the door. "You can't miss the mask-a-rade!"
"No, no, I must wait for Haruhi! She promised to dance with me!" Tamaki cried, flailing his arms in every direction as Hunny used his impossible strength to push Tamaki out the door. Mori walked slowly behind, an expressionless look on his face. If anything, he wasn't too happy with his mask.
After Hunny dragged Tamaki through the school and outside…
"Ah, you came finally," said Kyoya with a small smile as Tamaki was pushed into his legs. "You might want to regain your composure. Half the guests are here."
Tamaki stood, adjusting his white suit and brushing off the dirt from his legs. With an embarrassed cough, he turned to look at the field. Hours before, they had organized the tall trees to be covered with lights, for the field to be covered in long tables with food stacked high, and for there to be a fountain smack in the middle of where everyone would be dancing. He gave a sad, dramatic sigh, hunching his shoulders. "It'll do," he mumbled.
"It's perfect, because since its held outside in the night, there won't have to be any more cost put into making the mood right," Kyoya said with a smile. "It's cheaper than the other dances we've hosted."
Tamaki gave Kyoya a side-glance. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."
"Wow, look at all the pretty lights!" Hunny cried, amazed. "And, Takashi, Takashi, look! There's a fountain!"
"Ah."
"It's the Host Club!" gasped one of the girls in the crowd, looking towards the archway where Tamaki, Kyoya, Mori, and Hunny stood in.
"Oh! Let's ask them to dance!" cried another.
"YES!" screamed many girls with thunderous sound, balling up their fancy dresses in their gloved fists and sprinting towards them.
"What was the point in the masquerade if they recognize us?" Tamaki asked Kyoya with an irritated look.
Kyoya, face calm, said simply, "You don't have a mask, so they saw your face, and assumed us to be who we are."
Tamaki slapped his hands on his cheeks, not feeling his mask. "You're right!" he cried. "Where's my mask?! Where did it go?!"
"I asked you that, Tama-chan!" Hunny didn't fail to add.
With a cry of anguish, Tamaki spun around, sprinting back to the music room. This just encouraged the girls to run faster. Kyoya, Mori and Hunny on Mori's shoulders were pressed against a pillar as the crowd dashed straight past them.
"Tamaki-senpai, dance with uuus!" they called.
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In the Math room, while the masquerade ball was taking place outside the windows…
"Do I really have to wear this?" sighed Haruhi, looking at herself in the mirror at every angle. "It's so…"
"Yup!" the twins grinned, coming up on either side of her shoulder. "It's good!"
Haruhi frowned at her reflection. Her white dress was rather…large. It was V-necked, and the corset was tight around her thin waist. Then the skirt of it was the problem. She looked like she was some European woman from the 18th century, it was so large. "I look…strange," she said with a disgusted look.
The twins sighed. "Fine." Hikaru peeked his head around the doorway and called to one of their twin maids. "Hey, hey," he beckoned. "Haruhi wants another skirt!"
"If you insist," the maids sighed simultaneously, walking into the closet. They dashed back out, a flowing blue skirt in their hands, and ran into the room Haruhi was in. Flinging open the door again, they shoved the twins outside.
A few moments later, Hikaru and Kaoru gave each other a glance. "Do you think she's done?"
"Hikaru, Kaoru…" said Haruhi hesitantly. "I don't think blue looks good on me either."
"Hmm?" Sticking their heads back in, they looked at their friend. They gasped and grinned, holding their thumbs up. "Nice, Haruhi!"
"What? It looks okay?"
Kaoru nodded, coming up to her and bouncing one of her long, curly hair extensions. "Especially with long hair."
Haruhi slumped her shoulders, frowning into the mirror again at her blue dress. "All right then…" she grumbled as Hikaru placed a sparkling blue mask onto her face.
With a small smile, Hikaru stepped back from Haruhi, watching her look at herself uncertainly in the mirror. His face then creased into a frown.
Kaoru looked at him in the corner of his eye with a knowing smile. Sometimes he just knew his twin brother's feelings all too well.
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At the masquerade ball…a half an hour into it…
Tamaki sighed, looking away towards the spinning crowd. The dance was meant to be lively, but he lagged in his steps. His partner was a slightly overweight girl with a dull yellow dress, her brown hair in curls. She stared at him, transfixed, not believing that she was dancing with THE Tamaki Suoh.
Tamaki just wanted Haruhi to show up.
"That's a nice mask," the girl ventured, trying to make conversation. "I couldn't even tell that you were Tamaki-senpai until someone told me!"
Tamaki turned towards the girl again, smiling—his lips were the only feature on his face that could be seen. "In truth, no one should be wearing a mask," he said. He let out a long sigh, saying sorrowfully, dramatically holding up a hand to the sky, "It blocks so much beauty…" If one could see his expression behind his white mask that covered his nose and eyes, they would see sadness.
The music stopped, the dance ending. Tamaki went to his knee, holding the girl's hand and delicately brushing his lips against it. "If only I could see the beautiful face you have, behind that mask," he said, looking up at her and smiling.
The girl went red, holding her fist to her chest. "O-Oh!" she stammered, timidly shrinking under his bold words.
"Until next time," he said, departing with a bow. He walked off the dancing area, slumping into a wooden chair and sighing. His skin was getting sweaty underneath his white mask. That was his 7th dancing partner in 15 minutes: how did everyone figure out who he was?
He fingered the cuffs of his suit, a sigh heaving his chest. Where is my daughter…?
"Who is SHE?" a girl gasped to her friend behind him.
Tamaki turned his head, his brow knitting as a look of confusion passed over his face. A girl came tentatively towards the tables, fingering her white gloves on her hands as she looked around, as if lost. Tamaki stood up, struck by her beauty. He knew he shouldn't be jumping to conclusions since a sparkling blue mask hid her eyes and the bridge of her nose. One could only guess what was behind her mask.
But her long, flowing blue dress that complimented her thin frame and curled brown hair that hung to her waist suggested that the face behind her mask couldn't possibly be ugly.
His mouth opened in amazement. He tried to place who she was. After all, he did know the entire female population in Ouran. Could it be Suzuki Takada? No, no, she was too tall. This girl was shorter than tall. His mind racked with names, faces, possibilities. He couldn't puzzle out who this mysterious girl was.
Hesitantly, he came up to her. She stopped short, looking up at him, her eyebrows raised. He held out his hand, smiling. He started to ask, "May I have this dance?", except then Kyoya announced the next dance over the loudspeaker, drowning out his voice.
But she understood, although she hadn't heard. Smiling, she nodded, and took his hand in hers. It was small and warm: fit perfectly into his. Tamaki's face flushed at the touch. He led her amongst the dancers, putting one hand on her waist, another in hers. The music struck high once again. Tamaki gently urged her into the steps, and they glided.
She was awkward with some steps, but he led her into a graceful substitute. The whole time he couldn't stop smiling at her, smiling at how shy she was, smiling at her shy strides.
There's something…about her…
She caught his eye, and smiled softly back. She opened her mouth to say something, when she missed a step. Tamaki quickly went backwards so they wouldn't crash into each other, and covered for her mistake by twirling her in a graceful circle. Her blue dress billowed around her, and she came back gently into Tamaki's arms.
As she faced him once again, she blushed and muttered, "Gomenasai."
Tamaki frowned. Her voice…is familiar. But where have I heard it?
For the next few blissful minutes, Tamaki held her as they danced, soaking in the joy of every minute of it. He couldn't explain why he had the warm feeling in his chest, the thrill in his mind that was absent when he danced with the other girls. She made his heart race, made his cheeks go on fire every time she went closer and closer to him.
She was different. Different from everyone else.
Then, the dance ended; Tamaki's heart sank. The happy moments he experienced shattered into nothing as the hired musicians stopped their music and put down their instruments. The girl curtsied; he bowed. As he lifted his head, and she lifted hers, they smiled at each other, almost in regret. She then turned to leave him.
No, don't go! He caught her wrist. "What's your—" he began.
"Oh, no! Hunny-senpai!"
Tamaki and his partner's head turned. They both gasped as they saw Hunny fall backwards into the fountain's waters, his plate of cake flipping in the air.
"Look, Mori-kun will save him!"
Mori sprinted over to where Hunny fell and reached his hands into the water. He snatched Hunny by the suit, pulling him up into his arms, frowning down at him worriedly. The girls around them gasped and mourned for the soaking of their beloved classmate.
Hunny sputtered and began to cry unhappy tears. "I-I didn't mean to fall!" Tamaki faintly heard him say.
"It's okay, Hunny-senpai, it was all the rock's fault, not yours!" screamed a standbyer in assurance.
Tamaki turned towards the mysterious girl again, to ask her his question, when he felt her wrist yanked out of his hand. "Hey!" he barked, seeing two men dragging her away.
They're abducting my princess! He dashed after them, shouting for them to stop. But the two orange-haired men didn't stop pulling her towards the door to the school.
"Watch it!" cried a man holding a tray. Tamaki didn't pay attention; he ducked under the man's outstretched arms and leaped onto the table, taking a great jump over multiple guests' heads.
"YAMETE!" he cried, holding out his hand, as if to grab the departing girl, pull her back into his arms.
A blur whizzed under his feet. He fell over, right onto his face, smack onto the grass. He lifted his head, dazed, and saw an irritated orange cat swiping her paw at him. She wasn't pleased that he tripped over her.
"What the? Wait!" Tamaki looked towards the door to the school, past the pillars. The two men and his princess disappeared through the door. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the fact that his mask was hanging askew off his face. "Please come back!"
He ran, as fast as he could, towards the door. Within a moment, his princess disappeared through the door. The skirt of her magnificent blue dress flashed in the moonlight before she was erased by the shadows.
Once he got to the door, he smacked into the wall, stopping himself with his sweaty hands before he smashed into the concrete completely. His fist gripping the handle of the door, he yanked it open violently. "Stop!" he shouted into the hall, his voice bouncing across the empty hall.
He was greeted by darkness. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fist. "Damn it!" he cursed, looking down at the ground in defeat. He blinked in surprise, frowning at what caught his eye. By his black polished shoe was a sheet of something that had been dropped by one of the people who disappeared through the door.
Bending to pick it up, he sat crouched, holding the piece of paper with a bewildered look on his face.
"My princess… while she was being abducted…dropped…Algebra homework?" he muttered while staring blankly at the sheet.
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Just to let you know, the girl he obviously danced with was Haruhi... And yes, I AM BACK! Mwahaha. Well 'My Silent Feelings' is as good as dead so why not try another story that's been locked away inside my head for ages now? I promise I'll finish My Silent Feelings, just not today. XD
Now…let your mouse…slowly travel to the 'review' button…good job…nearly there…(if these words have disappeared, you've done it! If they don't, I am sorry, you have failed the 'review' test).
-KuroHinote :)